MENTAL BREAKDOWN

Wanting Answers During Tragedy

Published: Friday, December 21, 2012 at 2:50 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 21, 2012 at 2:50 p.m.

The tragedy in Connecticut has led to a great deal of concern. Whenever people are needlessly killed, we are all left stunned.

This is never more true than when the target is a school, not to mention an elementary school. As adults, we want to find answers and we want a response. We want some form of action to ensure this is not going to happen again.

Our first response is to look for causes. Why would the person do such a thing? We search for motive, some explanation for the unexplainable. The problem is there is rarely a rationale that makes sense. In a column I wrote in February of this year, following a similarly unexplainable incident, I made the claim that you cannot predict the unpredictable. This fact notwithstanding, as social beings, we seek to find predictability in all actions, knowing the unpredictable is what creates the most anxiety for us.

In response to the incident, many parents have started making major changes. There are parents who have withdrawn their children from public school, feeling that homeschooling the children would keep them safer. Other parents are pushing for increased monitoring and police presence on school campuses, including elementary schools. I even heard on the radio where some were proposing for military personnel returning from war to be stationed at elementary schools.

So how do we prevent these events from happening again? Well, it may be easier to look at those things that will not help. First, let us consider the reality of the situation. School shootings are not routine. Moreover, they are not occurring with any significant increase in frequency. Rather, we are left with the impression this is a chronic issue because of media and 24-hour coverage of such events.

Second, homeschooling is not the answer. There are few places in the world that are safer than schools. Many more people are injured during home invasions than during any incident at a school. In addition, removing your child from school eliminates the social aspect of the school day. Though homeschooling is appropriate for some issues, protection from these types of tragedies is not one.

Third, more security is not the answer. Sure, our knee-jerk reaction is to have police officers and/or military personnel on school campuses. We imagine walls and fences around the school to keep the bad guys out. We imagine that doing so will make our kids feel safe. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. If you are walking in the mall and you see a group of police officers, you do not assume safety. You assume something bad has happened or is expected to happen. Increased security could actually increase kids' anxiety.

Fourth, mental illness is not the sole cause. As a psychologist, I am sure I am biased. However, when these types of tragedies occur, we very quickly place the issue on the person's mental health. While it is possible the person's mental illness sets a stage for irritability, frustration, anger, or even instability, the mental illness is not the culprit. For every criminal with bipolar disorder, there are thousands of people with the disorder who you would have never suspected. Just because someone with autism does something tragic does not mean that people with autism are dangerous. Rather, it means that this one person was dangerous.

Finally, video games are not the sole cause. I have written about video games before, so I will not belabor the point here. However, it should be said that kids play video games and just like mental illness, for every dangerous kid who plays violent video games, there are thousands of others who play those same games and never engage in violence.

So what can work? Awareness and support. As mentioned above, there are many situations where mental illness could set the stage for violence. These individuals need treatment. Unfortunately, as we have learned far too many times, many people who "snap" were known to have mental illnesses that were untreated because of lack of finances or no insurance. Creating awareness and treatment programs for these individuals is how we can put a stop to much of this senseless violence.

[ Dr. Berney is a licensed psychologist with Kindelan, McDanal and Associates in Winter Haven. Readers are invited to submit questions or comments to DrBerney@thementalbreakdown.com. ]

<p>The tragedy in Connecticut has led to a great deal of concern. Whenever people are needlessly killed, we are all left stunned.</p><p>This is never more true than when the target is a school, not to mention an elementary school. As adults, we want to find answers and we want a response. We want some form of action to ensure this is not going to happen again.</p><p>Our first response is to look for causes. Why would the person do such a thing? We search for motive, some explanation for the unexplainable. The problem is there is rarely a rationale that makes sense. In a column I wrote in February of this year, following a similarly unexplainable incident, I made the claim that you cannot predict the unpredictable. This fact notwithstanding, as social beings, we seek to find predictability in all actions, knowing the unpredictable is what creates the most anxiety for us.</p><p>In response to the incident, many parents have started making major changes. There are parents who have withdrawn their children from public school, feeling that homeschooling the children would keep them safer. Other parents are pushing for increased monitoring and police presence on school campuses, including elementary schools. I even heard on the radio where some were proposing for military personnel returning from war to be stationed at elementary schools.</p><p>So how do we prevent these events from happening again? Well, it may be easier to look at those things that will not help. First, let us consider the reality of the situation. School shootings are not routine. Moreover, they are not occurring with any significant increase in frequency. Rather, we are left with the impression this is a chronic issue because of media and 24-hour coverage of such events.</p><p>Second, homeschooling is not the answer. There are few places in the world that are safer than schools. Many more people are injured during home invasions than during any incident at a school. In addition, removing your child from school eliminates the social aspect of the school day. Though homeschooling is appropriate for some issues, protection from these types of tragedies is not one.</p><p>Third, more security is not the answer. Sure, our knee-jerk reaction is to have police officers and/or military personnel on school campuses. We imagine walls and fences around the school to keep the bad guys out. We imagine that doing so will make our kids feel safe. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. If you are walking in the mall and you see a group of police officers, you do not assume safety. You assume something bad has happened or is expected to happen. Increased security could actually increase kids' anxiety.</p><p>Fourth, mental illness is not the sole cause. As a psychologist, I am sure I am biased. However, when these types of tragedies occur, we very quickly place the issue on the person's mental health. While it is possible the person's mental illness sets a stage for irritability, frustration, anger, or even instability, the mental illness is not the culprit. For every criminal with bipolar disorder, there are thousands of people with the disorder who you would have never suspected. Just because someone with autism does something tragic does not mean that people with autism are dangerous. Rather, it means that this one person was dangerous.</p><p>Finally, video games are not the sole cause. I have written about video games before, so I will not belabor the point here. However, it should be said that kids play video games and just like mental illness, for every dangerous kid who plays violent video games, there are thousands of others who play those same games and never engage in violence.</p><p>So what can work? Awareness and support. As mentioned above, there are many situations where mental illness could set the stage for violence. These individuals need treatment. Unfortunately, as we have learned far too many times, many people who "snap" were known to have mental illnesses that were untreated because of lack of finances or no insurance. Creating awareness and treatment programs for these individuals is how we can put a stop to much of this senseless violence.</p><p></p><p>[ Dr. Berney is a licensed psychologist with Kindelan, McDanal and Associates in Winter Haven. Readers are invited to submit questions or comments to DrBerney@thementalbreakdown.com. ]</p>